The food thing

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I had dinner with a vegetarian friend the other night, who said she doesn’t necessarily date vegetarians. That surprised me, and reminded me of a Cupid date this April. She was a vegetarian, and he was a vegan. And here’s what happened(it’s also pasted below). But why?

STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, HE WOULD WANT > A snorkel, a guitar, and access to Twitter.

WHO PLAYS HIM IN THE MOVIE? Uh, me. Duh?

CAITLIN LAVERRIERE > 23

Nanny

STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, SHE WOULD WANT > Cellphone, sporting equipment, music

WHO PLAYS HER IN THE MOVIE? Kate Hudson, [who knows] how to be proper but also how to let loose and be a goofball.

7:30 P.M. > TRUE BISTRO, SOMERVILLE

> COME AS YOU ARE

CAITLIN Getting ready, my roommate was reading me Google tips on “What not to do on a first date.”

SILAS I applied some deodorant, finished another glass of wine, and reviewed several passages from Finding Your Soulmate.

CAITLIN I arrived about 10 minutes early. He arrived right on time.

SILAS When I entered, she looked at me and smiled.

CAITLIN We were both the only people who were alone in the restaurant.

SILAS Walking toward me, she gave me a hug and introduced herself. Clearly this is a woman with some coordination, I thought.

> A VEGGIE’S SECRET

CAITLIN The tables next to us were super close, so I knew they could hear us introducing ourselves and I didn’t want them to judge!

SILAS She was really pretty and I thought it was finally worth all those years of not eating meat so as to appear more sensitive.

CAITLIN We talked about everything from our families to music we like. A couple next to us figured out we were on a blind date, and they talked to us about how they had met.

SILAS I learned that, in addition to being a nanny, Caitlin has been a vegetarian for a while, so clearly her heart is working. Flanked on both sides by couples celebrating birthdays, I admired Caitlin’s willingness to engage in a hearty rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

> ALL IN?

CAITLIN Initially I decided that although he was a good-looking guy, he wasn’t someone I’d be interested in having a relationship with. There were times throughout the night when our conversation was going well [though], where I changed my mind.

SILAS I felt quite comfortable with Caitlin. To sit, talk, eat, and drink with a stranger for the better part of two hours is not something [just] anyone can do.

CAITLIN He was very relaxed and so was I, [but] I don’t think his sense of humor is similar to mine at all. There were definitely times where he had me laughing and other times where I was thinking, “Oh, God.”

SILAS We exchanged numbers and then hugged goodbye. I believe I gave her a peck on the cheek for good measure.

> POST-MORTEM

SILAS A

CAITLIN B

> A SECOND DATE?

SILAS Only time will tell, but whoever ends up with her will be a fortunate fellow, indeed.

CAITLIN I don’t think [so], just because I think we would be better off as friends.